Why we collect personal information
We collect your personal information in connection with your employment, or potential employment, with the ATO, or in connection with the services you provide as a contractor or labour hire worker.
We are authorised by the Public Service Act 1999 to collect personal information as part of our recruitment process. This includes requesting details provided on any forms required for selection, placement, onboarding, and induction of successful candidates. Additionally, we may collect other relevant personal information, such as referee details, human resources-related information, and any other necessary data to support and manage the recruitment and employment process.
We use your personal information to perform management, employment, and personnel functions to meet our obligations under the Public Service Act 1999, Fair Work Act 2009, Work Health and Safety Act 2011, Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013, and other legislation relevant to our role as an employer or recipient of services provided by contractors and labour hire workers.
By submitting this information, you consent to our collection, use and disclosure of your personal information as described below.
How we collect and store your personal information
We collect personal information from you directly when you complete these forms. We may also collect information about you:
- when you register for the ATO Careers portal
- from any assessment you undertake during the selection process (if applicable)
- from your referees (if applicable)
- from our human resource systems that contain information about your previous employment with us (if applicable).
Information you enter in our forms will be deleted from the ATO Careers portal on completion of processing activities, or once the minimum records retention period has expired.
Information collected may be extracted and stored on internal ATO systems in accordance with Australian Government records management regulations, guidelines and authorities issued by the National Archives of Australia. We protect the security and confidentiality of the personal information we store by restricting access to staff on a need-to-know basis or applying a higher security classification requirement to handle the information.
When no longer required, records are destroyed in a secure manner, in accordance with the Archives Act 1983.
If we don't collect this information
If we don't collect your personal information, it may affect our ability to consider your application in our recruitment selection, placement, or onboarding processes. It may mean that:
- you'll be unable to apply for vacancies with us
- we'll be unable to contact you to advise of your progress or any update regarding the selection, placement, or onboarding process
- you might be at a disadvantage against other applicants who have supplied this personal information at any other stages of the selection, placement, or onboarding process.
How we use your personal information
We'll use your personal information to:
- conduct recruitment activities, including considering your application for the selection, placement or onboarding process, induction of successful candidates, and in some cases to create a merit pool to fill similar vacancies
- manage and administer labour hire arrangements and other arrangements involving the provision of services by contractors
- undertake human resources functions, including those relating to diversity and inclusion, workforce planning, data and analytics, conduct and performance management, and payroll
- prevent, detect, investigate, or deal with misconduct and fraud or other unlawful activity relating to the Commonwealth.
We also use personal information to help us improve our workforce planning and our administration of recruitment services.
Your personal information will be retained on our online recruitment system in accordance with the relevant legislation and ATO policy to enable you to view your current and recent applications, which may assist you to apply for vacancies with us in the future.
Who your personal information may be disclosed to
We may disclose your personal information to:
- members of the selection panel responsible for assessing your application
- the delegate (departmental manager who has overall authority to approve selection decisions)
- ATO staff involved in the administration of recruitment services, workforce planning and other human resources functions
- ATO staff and managers involved in facilitating onboarding and induction processes
- staff of an external service provider if they have been contracted to assist with the selection, placement or onboarding process and induction of successful candidates
- ATO staff managing labour hire arrangements and other arrangements involving the provision of services by contractors
- other Commonwealth agencies who elect to use our merit pools unless you select 'opt out' on the application form when applying for a gazetted recruitment process
- the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission to obtain criminal history checks (if required)
- the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency to obtain and maintain security clearances (if required)
- other APS agencies to facilitate the movement of staff between agencies (if required)
- labour hire firms and organisations that supply contractors, to manage and administer labour hire arrangements and other arrangements involving the provision of services by contractors
- any other person with a lawful entitlement to view your application, which may include supporting documentation.
If you're offered a promotion from a recruitment process notified in the APS Employment Gazette (the gazette), your name will appear in the promotion notice along with some of your personal information. In some circumstances, your name may be withheld where a decision is made to exclude it because of your work-related or personal circumstances.
We are unlikely to disclose your personal information to overseas recipients, unless required by law.
For more information
Our privacy policy contains important information about your privacy, including how:
- you can access and seek correction of personal information we hold about you
- to make a complaint if you think we have breached the Australian Privacy Principles
- we will deal with any privacy complaints.
If you have a privacy concern or need more information, you can phone our Privacy Hotline on 1300 661 542 or write to us to the following address.
AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE
GPO BOX 9990
[insert the name and postcode of your capital city]
For example:
AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE
GPO BOX 9990
SYDNEY NSW 2001
If you suspect your privacy has been compromised, you can report it - see Data breach guidance for individuals.